As described in WO 2013/162072, US 2007/004719, etc., 2-(halogenomethyl)-3-methylnitrobenzene is a compound useful as an intermediate in the production of pharmaceuticals and agrochemicals.
US 2006/167301 describes a dehalogenation reaction for reducing an aralkyl halide compound, and shows that 4′-methyl-2-cyanobiphenyl is obtained by reducing 4′-bromomethyl-2-cyanobiphenyl and 4′-dibromomethyl-2-cyanobiphenyl.
Meanwhile, the fact that a nitro compound is reduced to an amine compound in the presence of a palladium catalyst is well known, as described in “Jikken Kagaku Koza (Lectures on Experimental Science), 5th Ed., Vol. 14, Yuki-Kagobutsuno Gosei (Synthesis of Organic Compounds) II, Alcohol/Amine, p. 357.